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Funds available to pave sports center parking lot

Posted: Sunday, June 29, 2003

By MARCUS K. GARNERPeninsula Clarion

The Soldotna Sports Center will get new paving in its east parking lot. Soldotna City Manager Tom Boedeker announced at last week's city council meeting that the city had money available from a state matching grant for more than $100,000 to improve the facility to begin the project. The grant calls for just over 30 percent in matching funds from the city.

In a memo to the council, Boedeker described three areas adjacent to the center where work would be done.

The areas are numbered in order of priority, with the first being a 5,842-square foot, rectangular area near the rear of the lot and closest to the facility. The remainder of this lot, going east toward the Soldotna Little League complex, is reserved for future construction of a field house, Boedeker said.

Area No. 2 is closer to Kalifornsky Beach Road and measures 86,594-square feet, while the third area, closest to the road is 29,569-square feet, leaving an incomplete space next to the little league complex to be paved in the future.

"We would start the paving work according to area numbers and would work until we run out of money," Boedeker said.

The estimated cost to adjust the grade and pave the three areas and to install a low-cost drainage system is $120,000, he said. If contractor costs are lower than anticipated, or should the council choose to provide extra funding, Boedeker said the unpaved space next to area No. 3 also could be paved.

Currently, the entire parking area is covered with gravel and has a number of dips that puddle after it rains. The parking lots will be sloped to compensate for these grading issues and to accommodate runoff.

"This project needs to be accomplished this construction season," Boedeker said. "If it is not, the grant funds may be in jeopardy."

He asked the council for its approval of the project and was given the go-ahead.

"This could be started fairly quickly," he said. "We would like to get this out this summer and have it paved this fall."